Cabal Incursion
by ErisMorn
Summary: After the defeat of the Taken King, the Cabal launched an offensive strike upon the Light. Fireteam Stiletto must do anything and everything to stop this onslaught.
1. Cabal Incursion: Chapter One

The King was dead. Any remnants of the Taken had fled, never to return. The fireteam that claimed Oryx's head had returned to the Tower, and a celebration was in order. Each Guardian of that fireteam would be given special recognition for the entire Tower to see.

Cayde-6, Zavala, Ikora, and the fireteam of Guardians stood on the platform, just behind and above the Bounty Tracker. Each Guardian was congratulated by his or her respective Vanguard.  
Commander Zavala approached the two Titans of that fireteam. "Theron Halifax and Raya Maraya, I hereby grant you both the Vanguard Medal of Honor for slaying the Light's greatest threat. You've done well, Guardians."  
Ikora Rey gracefully walked up to the Warlocks. "Tiktra-4 and Kathryn Arkton, you two have far exceeded my expectations. You have grown so much in the past year, the Vanguard is very proud of you. You are gifted the Vanguard Medal of Honor."  
Last, but not least, Cayde-6 casually strolled over to the Hunters, of course. "Hey, Guys. Uhh… Annika Triton and Rekar-257, right? Damn, that's a lot of wipes… Anyways, you two work well together. Wish I could have been there with you. Here, take these shiny pins. Good work."

Commander Zavala stepped to the center and announced, "Fireteam Stiletto has defeated Oryx. It is a day of celebration."  
The Tower cheered with excitement and joy. The Taken King had finally fallen. There was nothing left to do but rejoice. However… the celebration would be short-lived.

Suddenly, a behemothic explosion erupted down in the Last City. The Guardians rushed over to the edge of the Tower to see what was occurring. Explosions after explosions were completely obliterating the City. Chaos had struck.  
"Get a fireteam down there now!" Zavala yelled. "Cayde, you go too!"  
Cayde-6 nodded, grabbed some Guardians, and hurried down to the City. Fireteam Stiletto nearly followed, however, the source of the problem had arrived at the Tower. Several Cabal Harvesters warped in overhead and loomed ominously.

"What the Hell?!" Raya exclaimed. "Why isn't the Traveler stopping them?!"

"It is reasonable to assume that the Cabal have devised a method in which to bypass the Traveler's defenses," Tiktra-4 stated in response.

Kathryn slowly walked towards the Cabal ships with her hands in the air. "Please," she implored. "Don't fight us! There is no need for more innocent people to be harmed! Let us resolve our differences peacefully and diplomatically!" This was a tactic she used every time before a fight. It had never worked, but her extreme devotion to morals compelled her to try.  
Just as precedent had hinted, the Cabal responded to Kathryn with exploding bullets. The Harvesters dropped off several waves of Cabal troops onto the Tower.

"Stiletto," Zavala announced. "Hold off the Cabal. The Vanguard needs to move all non-combat personnel to a safe location. Give us time, Guardians!"  
The fireteam complied and fortified its position.

"Alright, Stiletto," Theron bellowed. "Fend off the attackers! Let's show these pushovers how a real military operates!"  
Cabal Legionaries and Phalanxes slowly approached them, with Centurions and Colossi bringing up the rear with rockets and grenades rising into the air and crashing down like suicide bombers.  
"Oh great," Rekar-257 uttered. "Looks like we're all about to be slaughtered."  
Raya quickly laid down a Ward of Dawn, blocking the incoming fire.  
"Nice timing!" Annika exclaimed in response.  
"What can I say," Raya replied. "Titan master class."  
The Hunters gave her a disapproving look as several Phalanxes inched into the Ward, and were immediately blinded. Tiktra-4 floated up into the air and activated Stormtrance, letting a devastating lightning bolt dart down from under him, obliterating the advancing Phalanxes. He pushed outward, disintegrating any Cabal that dared stand in his way with Kathryn covering his back. Rekar-257 and Annika rushed out and flanked around left and right respectively, allowing the Titans a clear path to the center.  
Theron dashed to the center, jumped up in the air, and fired three rockets into the crowd, effectively eliminating dozens of Cabal. Then, he shifted his attention to a trio of Imperial Colossi with a detachment of Psions.

"Tiktra, Annika, come with me!" Theron ordered. The three of them charged into the scene. Annika fired a Shadowshot into a Psion's skull; immediately ending its life and tethering the rest of the Psions. Tiktra-4 fired one sniper bullet directly in between one of their eyes, instantly killing it. With the tether in place, the damage was chained to the remaining Psions, eliminating them all.  
Then, the trio of Imperial Colossi roared and started haphazardly firing their chainguns. Bullets sped past Theron as he relentlessly unleashed a flurry of flaming hammers onto the trio of Colossi. Tiktra-4 rapidly fired his sniper rifle into each of their heads as Annika pumped the Cabal with The Last Word. The Imperial Colossi were inevitably slaughtered.

The Tower was laid to waste, but all was quiet. Fireteam Stiletto regrouped and high-fived each other, except for Rekar-257 who really couldn't care less.  
"Good work, Team!" Theron congratulated. Then, there was an anomalous echo that emanated from the distance. The fireteam looked over the edge of the Tower, and saw three Imperial Land Tanks accelerating towards the Tower.  
"What is happening?" Kathryn whispered to herself. "Why can't the Traveler fight back?"  
The Land Tanks ceased advancement as railguns emerged from their topsides. The railguns were aimed at the Tower, directly at Stiletto.  
"Run!" Theron shouted. The fireteam turned to retreat as several explosions covered them and shattered the Tower.


	2. Cabal Incursion: Chapter Two - Alone

Kathryn coughed up blood and ash as she erected her back. She stumbled to her feet and scanned the area with her eyes. The vicinity was cluttered with fog and debris. The Warlock realized that the Tower was completely gone; she was standing upon the rubble. Her entire body was covered in ash, but miraculously unharmed. She searched the debris for her fireteam, but found nothing… except for dead Ghosts. Kathryn's was there, as well as several others. She couldn't tell to whom each of them belonged since the Shells were so disfigured.  
She looked up into the sky, hoping for some sort of sign of hope. She found nothing… too much of nothing. "Wait…" Kathryn muttered. "Where's the Traveler?"  
It had vanished. The Traveler was completely gone. It was as if it had just decided to leave. "What did the Cabal do?" she asked herself. Before she could continue, a battalion of Cabal Centurions, accompanied by a Goliath Tank, slowly approached her position. Kathryn quickly dove into the rubble and covered herself in it, hoping the Cabal hadn't noticed her and that the debris would be good enough camouflage.

She could hear the crunching and stomping of Cabal footsteps walking all around her. The low humming of the Goliath tank acted as an ambiance, making the situation that much more suspenseful. Kathryn held her breath, praying that she wouldn't be found. But then she heard a sound; a sound she did not want to hear.  
The Cabal started digging into the debris. The scrapes of metal screeched like a banshee as they slowly closed in on the Warlock. She felt trepidation running up her spine like mice running from cats. She started shivering from the sheer amount of fear, but it only became worse.  
A Centurion was directly next to her; Kathryn listened to its arrhythmic breathing as it picked up rubble around her and punted it off into the distance. She knew the inevitable was coming; fast. So, she took the initiative and launched a preemptive strike.  
As soon as the Centurion picked up the debris on top of her, the Warlock fired a shotgun blast directly through its cortex. It was forced backward and landed onto some of the other Cabal. Kathryn leaped out of her hiding spot and ran as fast as she possibly could. She could easily evade the foot soldiers, but the tank would be a whole different dilemma. Mortars fired from the tank flew through the air; all aimed directly at Kathryn. She Blinked to the side to evade them, following up with a Nova Bomb directly into the Goliath's cannon; but to no avail.  
The Nova Bomb didn't even dent the tank. Kathryn was shocked. The tank continued to advance, as if she never fired the Nova Bomb. There was no choice but to run. She sprinted in the opposite direction as fast as her legs could carry her. Rockets and explosive bullets rushed past her; launching dirt and dust onto her. A few explosions caused her to stumble, but it didn't stop her. Then, she noticed a nearby cavern. Kathryn jumped over some rubble and dived into the cave as rockets propelled past her.  
The impact of the rockets violently rattled the cave; compelling it to close in on itself. The ceiling fell and covered the entrance; leaving barely enough space for a modicum of light to squeeze in. The vibrations eventually ceased; the Cabal apparently withdrew from their attack on her. They likely presumed she was dead.

Kathryn rested her back against the wall of the cavern; trying to relax herself. After everything had settled down, she had a dreadful realization. There weren't any caverns in The Last City, but she doesn't recall ever moving through the walls. That's when it hit her.

 _The walls around the City had fallen._

That's what the rubble was that she had jumped over on her way to the cave. The Cabal completely obliterated the Wall. There was nothing left to protect the City. Now, the Fallen and the Hive could easily invade with the Cabal.  
Kathryn wanted to cry, but finding her allies was her priority. She could mourn later.  
With no way out, she descended into the cave. Without her Ghost, her only source of light was the illuminated fog emanating from the barrel of her Bad JuJu. Kathryn could see very little, but the sounds of movement and breathing were more than audible. Something was down there with her. The sonority of the cavern engulfed her in trepidation and caution. Then, she heard loud banging and yelling. Kathryn quickly hid behind some rocks and listened closely.

 _Those aren't Hive screams_ , she thought to herself. _It almost sounds… human._  
It was definitely human. The words being yelled were undoubtedly English and quite coherent. Someone was in severe pain and agony. Kathryn was hesitant, but her moral code demanded that she investigate and help whoever is hurting. She silently hurried towards the sounds of misery and anger. She turned the corner and located the cause of the disturbance.  
"Theron," she cried. "Are you alright?!"  
The Titan appeared to not have noticed her. He had his hands cupped around his head as he waved it around and screamed, "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" He repeatedly slammed himself against the wall and the floor. Kathryn tried to grab him and calm him down, but Theron just threw her to the ground. Something was literally inside of his head; eating him from the inside out.  
Theron Halifax continually screeched in terror and agony as he slammed his head against the wall. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD," he roared.  
"Calm down," Kathryn exclaimed. "What is going on?!"  
"IN MY HEAD, IT'S IN MY HEAD! GET IT OUT!"  
Kathryn Arkton had no idea what to do. Her personal lessons with Ikora never trained her for a situation like this. Something was feeding on Theron's brain.  
 _Could it be a Hive Worm_ , she asked herself.  
It didn't matter; if she didn't do something quickly, Theron would kill himself from all of this punishment. She breathed deeply and tried to think. All she could think about is that excerpt from Toland's Journal.  
 _As far as my research can tell_ , it read. _Once a Hive Worm has infested itself into a host, there is no way to remove it. In order to prevent it from killing the host, the host must kill other living beings._  
Unless Kathryn can somehow make a ground-shattering discovery in a couple of minutes, she'll either have to kill Theron, or let him kill her. She slowly approached Theron; who was still screaming like a newborn child.  
"Listen to me," Kathryn stated. "You've likely been infested by a Hive Worm. The only ways to save you is to either kill you, or let you kill me. I have no intention on ending your life, so I will let you end mine."  
"YOU'RE CRAZY," Theron exclaimed. "I AM NOT KILLING YOU! JUST GET IT OUT OF ME NOW!"  
"There is no other way," she responded as she removed her weapons and cast them to the ground. "Now… do it."


	3. Cabal Incursion: Chapter Three

Chapter Three: Escalation

Theron screamed at the top of his lungs and bolted out into the darkness. Kathryn motioned to follow, but the Titan was already far gone. She had no idea where he went. "Theron!" she shouted. "Come back, I can help you!"

The only response was silence; dead silence. The female Warlock sighed and retrieved her weapons. The vivid green smoke emanating from her Bad Juju illuminated the cavern, granting her vision just as it did before. "Theron!" she shouted again. "Please, come back!"

She was met again by silence. Kathryn slowly traversed the darkened grotto. The sides of the cavern shook at irregular intervals; likely shockwaves from the Cabal assaulting Earth.

 _I need to get back up there_ , she thought to herself.

She continued to mindlessly maneuver through the pitch darkness. Kathryn could hardly see a foot in front of her.

After what seemed like hours of walking through the darkness, she finally came across a beam of light. She was instantly injected with hope as she bolted into a full sprint towards it.

 _An exit_ , she happily thought.

Her thoughts were not disappointed. It was an exit, but there was a catch. It was a hole in the ceiling. She would have to climb up the wall, and then jump to reach it.

 _That's at least fifteen feet up…_ , the Warlock contemplated. _I didn't realize I had gone so far down…_

Kathryn didn't worry about it. She immediately started climbing. The wall was completely vertical, nearly no slant to it. It would be a very arduous climb.

Her ascent was rather gradual, she took her time. She meticulously fit her fingers in-between the rocks as she escalated the rock wall, ensuring she wouldn't fall.

When she reached the top, Kathryn turned her head to see the open hole in the ceiling. It was out of arm's reach. Just as she had expected, she would have to jump.

Kathryn took a deep breath and leapt. She slowly flew through the air. Her hands landed perfectly to hang from the ceiling. The Warlock pulled herself up through the gaping hole.

Seeing the full moon after being alone in the dark was blinding. Her eyes eventually adapted, and she scanned her surroundings. At first, all she found was destruction; complete and utter obliteration. Buildings had fallen, plains were set ablaze, and broken bodies were sprawled across the ground. She looked down at herself, now noticing her injuries. She had a massive scrape that ran across her stomach, as well as several other minor lacerations along her thighs and chest. But then, Kathryn heard a voice.

"Kathryn!" the feminine voice echoed.

The Warlock turned to see a female Hunter rushing towards her. "Annika!" Kathryn cried out. They immediately embraced, removed their helmets, and kissed passionately.

"I never thought I'd see you again," whispered Annika. "I thought you were dead, My Love."

"Me, dead? Ha, I'm too stubborn to die." Kathryn responded.

They smiled, chuckled, and placed their helmets back on their heads. "Have you seen the others?" Kathryn asked.

"Tiktra and Raya are at our temporary encampment. I'll take you there."

The two women hopped on their Sparrows and drove to the encampment, with Annika leading of course. When they arrived, Raya promptly greeted Kathryn with a strong embrace. Tiktra lent out his arm for a handshake. "It is fortunate that you survived the altercation, Kathryn." Tiktra stated.

"You Exo Bastard," Kathryn joked. "Show some emotion! I know you care!"

"Emotion is a quality that I lack. If you desire an excessive supply of dramatic interaction, I recommend you speak with someone else."

Everyone laughed, except for Tiktra, and then moved to a makeshift table that was previously set up. "Alright," Raya declared. "We need to locate the rest of our team and then retaliate against the Cabal. We just found Kathryn, but Rekar and Theron are still MIA."

"I saw Theron in the caves below us," the female Warlock responded. "However, he appeared to have been infested by a Hive Worm. I tried to help him, but he ran off. I lost track of him."

"Damn. With Theron currently missing, we don't have a leader. I, Raya Maraya, hereby attain the temporary rank of acting-leader. Anyone disagree?"

There was no response. Raya nodded and assumed that meant no one disagreed. She pulled out a map of the Cosmodrome and laid it across the table. Raya pointed out several locations in which to search for their missing comrades.

"We'll roll out tomorrow morning," Raya commanded. "Tiktra, you don't need to sleep, take the night watch. Keep an eye out for any Cabal patrols. Annika, tend to Kathryn's injuries and then have her bathe. She looks like shit."

They all responded with a firm, "Yes, Ma'am", and then proceeded to do as they were told. Tiktra walked around the perimeter, maintaining high surveillance. Annika patched up Kathryn's cuts and scrapes, following up with letting Kathryn bathe herself.

Afterwards, Annika, Kathryn, and Raya all slept in their makeshift beds. They needed the rest. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

In the morning, they all awoke well-rested. Raya stood up and bent over to stretch. Annika was too lazy to get out of bed, so Kathryn left the encampment to check up on Tiktra. But what she found was not what she expected.

There was a massive patrol of Cabal waiting outside. Legionaries, Phalanxes, Psions, Centurions, Colossus', even a few Goliath Tanks. A single Colossus stepped forward and roared, "Let this be a sign of our superiority!"

He lobbed some kind of metal ball at Kathryn but it landed in front of her feet. She bent down to inspect it, and suddenly her face overflowed with shock and horror. She fell to her knees and sobbed immensely. Her tears streamed down her face and onto the metallic sphere.

That wasn't a metal ball; it was Tiktra's head.


End file.
